Lansing bridge project continues, traffic problems ease

Construction continues on the Route 34B bridge over Salmon Creek in Lansing as the concrete roadbed, or deck, is lifted from the bridge’s frame by cranes in preparation for the bridge’s implosion scheduled for March.

“Deck removal began at the end of December, and we anticipate having the existing steel superstructure over the creek removed by early March,” said Curtis Jetter, public information officer for the New York State Department of Transportation, Region 3. “The remainder of the bridge and abutments will not be completely removed until early April.”

In the meantime, time and the opening of the Ludlowville Bridge are reducing traffic problems from the detour through Myers, according to Lansing Town Supervisor Ed LaVigne.

“I haven’t heard many complaints,” LaVigne said. “I know a few people make errors in judgment and go down there. Sheriff [Derek] Osborne has been helpful with visual security. I haven’t seen many tractor-trailers make that mistake recently. I think that the word has gotten out on the truckers’ network that ‘this is not a good idea.’”

LaVigne expanded further.

“One problem is that, once a tractor-trailer has made the turn [on to Route 34B], they are committed because there are not too many places to turn around,” LaVigne said. “We are working with the DOT [Department of Transportation] to get as much signage as possible. And, once they make the turn down Myers Road, they are stuck.”

LaVigne said that if residents see truck traffic continuing, they should call the sheriff’s department.

“Take down a license number but don’t engage,” he said. “Or they can contact me, and I will reach out to the sheriff.”

Meantime, LaVigne advises drivers to drive defensively, follow the speed limit and be aware that the truck or car they meet on Myers Road might not be familiar with the steep, winding road.

Demolition of the old bridge is slated to be completed by March 8, 2021. Paint will be peeled from the structure before the arches are imploded into the creek. The contract calls for the steel arches to be removed within 24 hours of the blast and the remainder of the material gone within a week.

The yearlong, $16.5 million project began in early November. With the detour established, erosion controlled installed and construction entrances built, the way was clear for the bridge deck removal, according to Jetter.

Once the bridge is down, new piers and abutments will be built, the steel structure will be erected above and a new concrete deck will be poured. Route 34B will be rebuilt up to the new bridge, and ditches, drainage and landscaping will complete the work, probably in early 2022, Jetter said. Tioga Construction of Herkimer, New York, is the contractor.

Automobile traffic will continue to detour through Myers, while heavier truck traffic is being sent around the construction site via Routes 90 and 34.

The 92-year-old Route 34B bridge has been scheduled for replacement since its 2015 closure, when inspectors identified faults with the steel under the bridge deck. Temporary repairs were made while the Tompkins County Department of Transportation began planning the bridge’s complete replacement for 2019. Funding delays pushed construction back to the actual start in late November of last year.

“It’s more cost-efficient to replace it than a short-term rehabilitation,” Jetter said.

The new structure will be able to handle all legal vehicle loads and will be wider than the original structure, according to Jetter.

The bridge will span 500 feet from bank to bank and sit about 125 feet above Salmon Creek. Eight-foot-wide shoulders will provide more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. The north end will be about 3 feet higher than the south end, according to the plans. It will carry more than 7,500 vehicles per day, Jetter said.